ACH processing speed
ACH payments are processed in batches and must be uploaded to Moov's partner financial institutions before certain cutoff times. In general, no news is good news - the payment succeeded unless you receive a subsequent return file stating that it did not.
With standard ACH processing, Moov holds funds that enter the platform via an ACH debit for two banking days before making the funds available. The purpose of the hold is to account for the lag in time it takes to hear back about returns or processing issues. In most circumstances, funds are made available in the morning of the second banking day after the transfer was created for example, Wednesday for a Monday transfer. See the full timetable below.
With faster ACH processing, you can bypass the two day hold period. With no debit hold period, the credit process starts within hours after the transfer is created. Both bank-to-wallet and bank-to-bank transfers will complete within one day as long as the transfer is created before the specified cutoff times. See the full timetable below.
If the transfer is created after a cutoff time, it will be processed according to the same schedule on the next banking day. Banking days refer to M-F, excluding the Federal Reserve's bank holidays. See the transfers overview guide for more information.
Standard same-day processing
To expedite standard processing, Moov processes all ACH debits with same-day processing when available. You can request ACH credits to be processed same-day by using an ach-credit-same-day payment method as the transfer destination.
The diagrams below show various standard processing timelines based on the 4:15 PM ET cutoff window.
Faster same-day processing
When an account is approved for faster processing, Moov will set the debit hold period to no-hold as a default for all relevant transfers. The debit portion of the process will complete within a few hours of originating.
Bank-to-wallet transfers will complete within one day as long as the transfer is created before 4:15 PM ET.
Bank-to-bank transfers will complete within one day as long as the transfer is created before 2:15 PM ET.
If a bank-to-bank transfer using ach-credit-same-day is not created before the same-day cutoff time, it will complete based on the cutoff times below:
| Created by | Debit completes |
|---|---|
| 10:00 AM ET | ~ 1:00 PM ET |
| 2:15 PM ET | ~ 4:00 PM ET |
| 4:15 PM ET | ~ 6:00 PM ET |
| 5:30 PM ET | ~ 7:00 AM ET (+1) |
Faster processing is for those who are comfortable with debits clearing quickly from an account. In cases of returns (for example, insufficient funds or accounts closed), funds will be debited from the wallet according to Moov's ACH returns and exception handling process.
no-hold by default, you can overwrite this in the achDetails of the create a transfer POST request by passing in 2-days to debitHoldPeriod.
The diagrams below show various faster processing timelines based on the 2:15 PM ET cutoff window.
Faster ACH qualifications
To be eligible for faster, same-day ACH processing, customers must meet specific criteria that demonstrate financial stability and operational maturity.
Business requirements
- Account history: Have an active Moov account in good standing for a minimum of 90 days with a proven track record of successful ACH transactions.
- Transaction volume: Demonstrate established payment operations by maintaining consistent ACH processing volume of at least $50,000 per month over the past 6 months.
- Return rate management: Maintain ACH return rates below the 0.5% unauthorized benchmark and below the 3% administrative benchmark over the evaluation period.
Financial stability indicators
- Reserve requirements: Establish and maintain a reserve fund calculated as the higher of:
- 1.5x your peak daily processing volume, OR
- A percentage of your highest monthly volume from the last 6 months based on industry risk classification:
- Low Risk Industry: 15% of monthly volume
- Medium Risk Industry: 25% of monthly volume
- High Risk Industry: 50% of monthly volume
- Credit assessment: Complete Moov's enhanced underwriting process, which may include providing recent financial statements.
- Risk profile: Industry classification will be determined during underwriting based on your business model, transaction patterns, and regulatory environment.
Operational standards
- Compliance track records: Show consistent adherence to ACH rules, NACHA guidelines, and Moov's terms of service without recent violations.
- Integration maturity: Implement proper webhook handling, return processing, and exception management in your payment flows.
- Business verification: Complete enhanced business verification, including beneficial ownership disclosure and updated business documentation.
Application process
- Assessment: Contact your Moov account manager or reach out to our team to begin the evaluation process.
- Documentation: Provide requested financial and operational documentation.
- Review period: Allow up to five business days for underwriting review.
- Approval: Upon approval, faster processing will be enabled with no-hold as the default setting.
- Monitoring: Accounts are subject to ongoing monitoring to maintain qualification.
Important considerations
- Source of funding: Bank-funded transactions provide the strongest qualification profile for faster processing. Direct bank account funding demonstrates financial stability and reduces risk compared to alternative funding sources.
- Risk acknowledgement: Faster processing means returns and exceptions require immediate attention. Ensure your team can handle rapid dispute resolution and account management.
- Volume scaling: Qualification thresholds may adjust based on your processing volume and business growth.
- Periodic review: Moov may periodically review accounts to ensure continued qualification for faster processing privileges. Moov reserves the right to turn off faster processing at any time, at Moov's discretion.